Here’s a Puppet Show to Teach New York City Tourists Some Manners [VIDEO]

October 7, 2013

Ever been stuck behind a crowd of blond teenagers shouting at each other in Swedish, pointing at flashing lights, shouting more in Swedish, and walking down the sidewalk in a clot you’ve spent 10 minutes trying to get around? If so, this video goes out to you. Johnny T the puppet toad offers up the truest, simplest advice any tourist ought to hear: Get out of the way.

The video, released early last week, was produced by Glove and Boots, a production group that makes comedy sketches with puppets. The short’s creators were frustrated by the obliviousness of visitors to the city that just comes with the territory of having enough disposable income to go on vacation.

“You go anywhere planning to spend money and relax, while locals are struggling to make a living, you’re going to come off like a jerk,” Damien Eckhardt-Jacobi, co-creator of Glove and Boots, tells Runnin’ Scared.

“After trying to get through Times Square with film equipment a month back, we realized that goes double for NYC.”

But ultimately the idea is to equip tourists with the tools to, well, not be jerks, or at least be less obvious about it.

“I’ts presented in a ridiculous manner–by a puppet toad–but we think it’s actually all sound advice,” Eckhardt-Jacobi says. “We honestly did try to give info that would help visitors have a better trip in NYC.”